The Herdade do Azinhal runs a beef cattle business, in which the cattle roam free-range, and the cows and calves graze in a Holm oak and Cork oak forest in a sustainable environment.

The 470 pure bred Alentejana cows run in three herds, together with their calves, up to the age of around 9 months when they are weaned. A small group of pure bred Mertolenga cows run with them. The bulls run with the herd during the breeding season, from November to March.

The pure bred Alentejano heifers run, at the age of 24 months, with pure bred Alentejano bulls during their first breeding season, avoiding the problems of calving bigger cross bred calves.

The older cows are cross bred with Limousine and Charolais bulls.

The pure bred Alentejano female calves are de-horned, for reasons of safety in handling and for their own welfare, at the age of around 1 month, and are retained on the farm to substitute cows that are culled.